Handheld device configured to selectively hide components from tactile perception

ABSTRACT

A user interface device having a user input component, a mechanical metamaterial region, one or more actuators, and a control unit is presented. The mechanical metamaterial region is located over the user input component. The one or more actuators are coupled to the mechanical metamaterial region, which has an internal structure that is mechanically alterable with the one or more actuators, and has a mechanical property that changes in response to the alteration of the internal structure by the one or more actuators. The control unit is in communication with the one or more actuators, and is configured to determine whether the user input component is to be hidden from tactile perception, and to activate the one or more actuators to mechanically alter the internal structure of the mechanical metamaterial region.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/583,088, filed May 1, 2017, the entire content of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a user interface device configuredto selectively hide components from tactile perception, and hasapplication in user interfaces, gaming, automotive interfaces, wearabledevices, and consumer electronics.

BACKGROUND

Humans interface with electronic devices in a variety of applications,and the need for a more natural, easy-to-use, and informative interfacedevice is a constant concern. Some applications involve interacting witha user interface device, such as a personal computer, portable computer,mobile phone, and home video game console controller. Users can interactwith a computing environment by inputting commands or data from the userinterface device. A computer system within or in communication with theuser interface device can update a computing environment in response tothe user's interaction with the user interface device. Visual feedbackmay be provided to display updates to the computing environment. Someuser interface devices may include a physical user input component, suchas a physical button or a physical keyboard. In some user interfacedevices, haptic feedback (e.g., tactile feedback or kinestheticfeedback) is provided to a user. The haptic feedback (or, moregenerally, haptic effect) may be combined with visual and auditoryfeedback as the user interface device is being used.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the embodiments herein relate to a user interface device(e.g., a mobile phone) comprising a user input component, a mechanicalmetamaterial region located over the user input component, and one ormore actuators coupled to the mechanical metamaterial region. Themechanical metamaterial region has an internal structure that isalterable by the one or more actuators, and has a mechanical propertythat changes in response to the alteration of the internal structure bythe one or more actuators. The user interface device further comprises acontrol unit in communication with the one or more actuators. Thecontrol unit is configured to determine whether the user input componentis to be hidden from tactile perception, and is configured to activatethe one or more actuators to alter the internal structure of themechanical metamaterial region in response to the determination that theuser input component is to be hidden from tactile perception.

In an embodiment, the one or more actuators are configured to stretch orcompress the mechanical metamaterial region. The mechanical property ofthe mechanical metamaterial region changes in response to the mechanicalmetamaterial region being stretched or compressed.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial region comprises arectangular layer of mechanical metamaterial. The one or more actuatorsare configured to stretch or compress the mechanical metamaterial regionalong a length or width of the rectangular layer of mechanicalmetamaterial.

In an embodiment, the control unit is further configured to determinewhether a haptic effect on the user interface device is to be hiddenfrom tactile perception, and to activate the one or more actuators inresponse to determining that the haptic effect is to be hidden on theuser interface device.

In an embodiment, the determination of whether the user input componentis to be hidden from tactile perception is based on an identity of anapplication that is running on the user interface device.

In an embodiment, the user input component is a keyboard. The controlunit is configured to determine that tactile perception of the userinput component is to be enabled or to remain enabled in response to adetermination that the application running on the user interface deviceis a text messaging application or a text editing application.

In an embodiment, the control unit is configured to determine that theuser input component is to be hidden from tactile perception in responseto a determination that the application running on the user interfacedevice is a video viewing application.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial region is at least firstand second mechanical metamaterial regions that are isolated from eachother, so that a mechanical property of the first mechanicalmetamaterial region can be changed without changing a mechanicalproperty of the second mechanical metamaterial region.

In an embodiment, the user input component is a button and is one of aplurality of buttons on the user interface device. Each of the first andsecond mechanical metamaterial regions covers a different button of theplurality of buttons.

In an embodiment, the control unit is configured to cause an internalstructure of one of the at least first and second mechanicalmetamaterial regions to change in response to determining that allbuttons covered by the one of the at least first and second mechanicalmetamaterial regions currently has no functionality in an applicationbeing executed on the user interface device.

In an embodiment, the user input component is a physical user inputcomponent.

In an embodiment, the user interface device does not include a pumplayer or a fluid layer.

In an embodiment, the internal structure of the mechanical metamaterialregion has a lattice structure that can be altered by the one or moreactuators.

In an embodiment, the internal structure of the mechanical metamaterialregion has an array of holes, wherein a respective hole of the array ofholes has a diameter in a range between 7 mm and 10 mm and has a shapethat can be altered by the one or more actuators.

In an embodiment, the mechanical property that changes in response tothe alteration of the internal structure is at least one of a shearmodulus and a bulk modulus of the mechanical metamaterial region.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial region is made of apentamode metamaterial.

In an embodiment, the user interface device is a mobile phone, whereinthe user interface device further comprises a display device, and theuser input component is a keyboard adjacent to the display device.

In an embodiment, the user interface device is a game console controllerin communication with a host computer, and the user input component is abutton.

Embodiments hereof relate to a user interface device comprising acomponent having a first surface, a mechanical metamaterial regionlocated over the first surface, and an activation device coupled to themechanical metamaterial region. The mechanical metamaterial region hasan internal structure that is alterable by the activation device, andhas a mechanical property that changes in response to the alteration ofthe internal structure by the activation device.

In an embodiment, the component is a user input component, and theactivation device comprises one or more actuators, and the userinterface device further has a control unit in communication with theone or more actuators. The control unit is configured to determinewhether the first surface is to be hidden from tactile perception, andto activate the one or more actuators to alter the internal structure ofthe mechanical metamaterial region in response to the determination thatthe first surface is to be hidden from tactile perception.

In an embodiment, the activation device is a manually actuatablecomponent coupled to the mechanical metamaterial region, and isconfigured, when manually actuated, to alter the internal structure ofthe mechanical metamaterial region.

In an embodiment, the manually actuatable device is a lever arm directlycoupled to the mechanical metamaterial region, or is a knob that iscoupled to the mechanical metamaterial region via a cord.

Features, objects, and advantages of embodiments hereof will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detaileddescription where references will be made to the appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of embodiments hereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings,which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification,further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable aperson skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. Thedrawings are not to scale.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a user interface device having aplurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, according to an embodimentherein.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a user interface device having a pluralityof mechanical metamaterial regions, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a user interface device having aplurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, according to an embodimentherein.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a user interface device having a userinput component and a mechanical metamaterial region covering the userinterface component, and FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the userinterface device, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a user interface device having a userinput component and a mechanical metamaterial region covering the userinterface component, and FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the userinterface device, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of example steps for hiding a user inputcomponent from tactile perception, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a user interface device having aplurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, according to an embodimentherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of theinvention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by anyexpressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field,background, brief summary or the following detailed description.

Embodiments hereof relate to a user interface device (e.g., a mobilephone or game console controller) which uses a region of metamaterial tohide components (e.g., user interface components) on the device. Forexample, a user input component such as a keyboard or home button may behidden from tactile perception by a mechanical metamaterial, and/orhidden from visual perception by an optical metamaterial. For instance,the keyboard or home button may be hidden when it is not in use. Acontrol unit of the user interface device may determine whether a userinput component is to be hidden from perception, and may activate, withone or more actuators, a region of metamaterial to hide the user inputcomponent from tactile or visual perception. The metamaterial mayfurther be able to be deactivated to a state in which the user inputcomponent is tactilely or visually perceivable again. More generallyspeaking, the metamaterial may be used to hide from tactile perceptionany component having a surface that provides a mechanical feature (e.g.,a surface having a bump or ridge).

In an embodiment, the metamaterial may, generally speaking, be amaterial having a property that is much more influenced by its internalstructure than by its composition. Metamaterials include an opticalmetamaterial (also referred to as a photonic metamaterial) and amechanical metamaterial. The mechanical metamaterial of the embodimentshereof may be a layer of material disposed over a user input componentto cover the user input component. The internal structure of themechanical metamaterial may cause the metamaterial to exhibit amechanical cloaking property in which the mechanical metamaterial isable to hide the user input component from tactile perception. In someinstances, the mechanical metamaterial may be transparent, while inother instances it may be opaque. In an embodiment, the internalstructure of the mechanical metamaterial may be mechanically alterablewith one or more actuators (or with any other type of activationdevice), and its mechanical property may change in response to themechanical alteration of its internal structure. By altering theinternal structure of the mechanical metamaterial, the mechanicalmetamaterial may be switched between an activated state and adeactivated state. In the activated state, the mechanical metamaterialmay be configured to hide an underlying object from tactile perception.The mechanical metamaterial may be able to be switched back to thedeactivated state, in which the mechanical metamaterial may allow theunderlying object to be tactilely perceived again. More generallyspeaking, the internal structure of the mechanical metamaterial may bealterable with an activation device, which may comprise the one or moreactuators, comprise a heating device, a manually actuatable component,any other activation device, or any combination thereof. The one or moreactuators may include, e.g., a piezoelectric element coupled to themechanical metamaterial. The manually actuated component may include,e.g., a lever arm or knob that is directly or indirectly coupled to themechanical metamaterial. The lever arm may, e.g., be manually actuatedby a user in order to pull or push on the mechanical metamaterial so asto alter an internal structure thereof. Pulling or pushing the lever armin one direction may switch the mechanical metamaterial from adeactivated state to an activated state, while pulling or pushing thelever arm in a second and opposite direction may switch the mechanicalmetamaterial from the activated state to the deactivated state. Inanother example, the knob may be attached to a cord that is directlycoupled to the mechanical metamaterial. The knob can be manuallyactuated back and forth to pull on the cord, which may alter theinternal structure of the mechanical metamaterial.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial in an activated state mayexhibit a mechanical property that remains substantially the sameregardless of whether the mechanical metamaterial is covering (e.g.,completely on top of, partially encapsulating, or completelyencapsulating) another object. Examples of this mechanical propertyinclude compressibility (e.g., a bulk modulus) and/or a shear property(e.g., shear modulus). In some cases, tactile perception of a user inputcomponent beneath a layer of non-rigid material may be based on sensingchanges that the user input component causes to the mechanical propertyof the layer of non-rigid material. For instance, the presence of a userinput component under a layer of non-rigid material may decrease thecompressibility of the layer and/or change a shear property of thelayer. A user may tactilely sense this change to infer that an object isunderneath (e.g., completely underneath, partially encapsulated by, orcompletely encapsulated by) the layer of covering material. A layer ofmechanical metamaterial switched to the activated state, however, mayhave a mechanical property, such as bulk modulus or shear modulus, thatremains substantially the same regardless of whether a user inputcomponent is placed underneath the layer of mechanical metamaterial.Thus, when a user touches the layer of mechanical metamaterial, the usermay perceive that there is no user input component beneath the layer ofmechanical metamaterial, even if there is in fact an object underneaththe layer. Thus, this feature of the mechanical metamaterial providesthe material with a mechanical cloaking property that hides the userinput component from tactile perception. Mechanical metamaterials arefurther discussed in more detail later in the disclosure.

In an embodiment, one or more regions of mechanical metamaterial mayreplace use of a fluid layer or pump layer for creating a temporarykeyboard or other user input component. Such a fluid layer or pump layermay be configured to have a surface inflate to create deformations thatform keys of a keyboard or other user input component. Such a keyboardmay be temporary in that the fluid or pump layer can be deflated toremove the surface deformations. Since a mechanical metamaterial may beable to hide keys of a keyboard from tactile perception, use of amechanical metamaterial in accordance herewith allows a user interfacedevice to incorporate a more permanent keyboard or other user inputcomponent, eliminating a need to use a fluid layer or pump layer tocreate a temporary user input component. Alternatively, in anembodiment, a mechanical metamaterial in accordance herewith may be usedin combination with such a fluid layer or pump layer.

In an embodiment, the user interface device may have a control unitwhich determines whether a user input component is to be hidden fromtactile perception. This determination may be based on, e.g., whichapplication is running on the user interface device. As discussed inmore detail below, information about what application is running (i.e.,an identity of an application running) on the user interface device maybe used to determine whether the user input component (e.g., keyboard)is being used. In one example, a mechanical cloaking may be applied to amobile phone equipped with a physical keyboard (e.g., a mechanicalkeyboard) that is covered with a region of mechanical metamaterial. Thisregion may also be referred to as a mechanical metamaterial region. Whena text messaging application is running on the user interface device,this may indicate that the keyboard is in use. In that situation, thecontrol unit may deactivate the mechanical metamaterial region, or keepthe mechanical metamaterial region in a deactivated state, so that thekeyboard can be tactilely perceived by the user. On the other hand, whena video viewing application is running on the user interface device,this may indicate that the keyboard is not in use. In that situation,the control unit may activate the mechanical metamaterial region, orkeep the mechanical metamaterial region in an activated state, tomechanically cloak or hide the keyboard from tactile perception.

In another example, the user interface device may be a game consolecontroller having a plurality of buttons that are covered by separateregions of mechanical metamaterial. The game console controller may havea control unit that applies mechanical cloaking to buttons that have nofunction at a present time in the game. The mechanical cloaking for abutton may be performed by activating a mechanical metamaterial regioncovering that button, so that the user is less likely to press thatbutton. Selected other buttons on the game console controller may becovered by their own respective mechanical metamaterial regions, butthose mechanical metamaterial regions may be in a deactivated state sothat a user can still tactilely perceive those other buttons.

In an embodiment, the user interface device may use the mechanicalmetamaterial to hide a haptic effect (e.g., a deformation haptic effect)provided by a haptic actuator of the device from tactile perception, asdiscussed in more detail below.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example user interface device 100 (e.g., a mobilephone, tablet computer, or laptop) that includes a display device 101, afirst user input component 103 (e.g., a physical keyboard having aplurality of physical keys adjacent to the display device 101) and asecond user input component 113 (e.g., a physical home button). FIG. 1Aprovides a partially exploded view which further shows the userinterface device 100 to include a first region 105 of mechanicalmetamaterial (also referred to as mechanical metamaterial region 105)disposed directly over the first user input component 103 to cover thefirst user input component 103, and to include a second region 115 ofmechanical metamaterial (also referred to as mechanical metamaterialregion 115) that is disposed directly over the second user inputcomponent 113 to cover the second user input component 113. Eachmechanical metamaterial region 105, 115 may be a layer of mechanicalmetamaterial, and the two regions 105, 115 may be co-planar. The twomechanical metamaterial regions 105, 115 may have the same type ofmechanical metamaterial (examples of which are discussed below), or mayhave different types of mechanical metamaterials.

FIG. 1A further depicts actuators 107, 109 that may be configured tochange an internal structure of mechanical metamaterial region 105, anddepicts actuators 117, 119 that may be configured to change an internalstructure of mechanical metamaterial region 115 (in another embodiment,the actuators 117, 119 may be replaced by another type of activationdevice, such as a manually actuatable component.). The actuators 107,109, 117, 119 may be placed in a variety of locations. For example, theactuators may be placed completely underneath their respectivemetamaterial regions, to a left or right side of their respectivemetamaterial regions, or may be embedded within their respectivemetamaterial regions. The mechanical metamaterial region 105 may beisolated from the mechanical metamaterial region 115, so that amechanical property of one mechanical metamaterial region can be changedwithout changing the mechanical property of the other mechanicalmetamaterial region.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial of both regions 105, 115may be a material (e.g., an elastic material) that has an activatedstate in which the material has an internal structure that is able tohide an underlying object from tactile perception. Examples of themechanical metamaterial include a pentamode metamaterial and a holeysheet.

In an embodiment, a pentamode metamaterial that covers an object (e.g.,a stiff object) may visually and/or tactilely appear, or be perceived,to be a homogeneous isotropic elastic solid, so as to hide the coveredobject. In an embodiment, the pentamode metamaterial may provide asubstantially uniform behavior on its surface with respect tocompression and/or with respect to shear, so that a user touching thesurface of the pentamode metamaterial does not perceive an objectbeneath a portion of the pentamode metamaterial. In other words, when anobject is covered by a layer which is not a metamaterial layer, theobject may change a shear property or compression property of the partof the layer covering the object. When a user's hand runs over thesurface of the layer, for example, the user may detect such changes tothe shear property or compression property at a location right above theobject. As a result, the user may tactilely perceive the object beingcovered by the layer. The pentamode material, however, may exhibitsubstantially uniform shear and/or compression properties, such that thecovered object is not detected by tactile perception. In an embodiment,an internal structure of the pentamode metamaterial is constructed froma lattice of face-centered cubic (fcc) unit cells that are hexagonal inshape and fabricated with direct laser writing (DLW). Pentamodemetamaterials are discussed in more detail in “An elasto-mechanicalunfeelability cloak made of pentamode metamaterials,” by T. Buckmann etal., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In anembodiment, the internal structure of the pentamode material ischangeable via an actuator. The actuator may be able to change theinternal structure of the pentamode material from a first state (e.g.,activated state) to a second state (e.g., a deactivated state), and maybe able to reverse the change from the second state (e.g., deactivatedstate) back to the first state (e.g., activated state).

In an embodiment, a holey sheet may be a layer with an internalstructure having an array of holes of uniform size, or an array of holeshaving different respective sizes. For example, a hole of the array mayhave a diameter that is in a range between 7 mm and 10 mm. This internalstructure may be changed by one or more actuators, which may stretch orcompress the holey sheet to stretch or compress the array of holes.Similar to the prior embodiments utilizing the pentamode material, oneor more actuators may be able to change the internal structure of theholey sheet between a first state (e.g., an activated state) and asecond state (e.g., a deactivated state). In a deactivated state, theholey sheet may be sufficiently compressible to allow a user totactilely distinguish a portion of the holey sheet covering an objectrelative to other portions of the holey sheet. In an activated state,the holey sheet may exhibit a uniform level of stiffness, which may behigher than in the deactivated state, to hide the underlying object fromtactile perception. Holey sheets are discussed in more detail in“Programmable Mechanical Metamaterials,” by Bastiaan Florijn et al.,which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

In an embodiment, one or more of the actuators 107, 109, 117, and 119may be configured to pull and/or push on mechanical metamaterial region105 or 115, or to compress mechanical metamaterial region 105, 115. Forexample, actuators 107, 109 may be disposed at two opposite ends ofmechanical metamaterial region 105. The two actuators 107, 109 may beconfigured to pull and/or push on the two respective ends of themechanical metamaterial region 105 in two respective directions that areopposite to each other. The pulling action may stretch the mechanicalmetamaterial region 105, while the pushing action may compress themechanical metamaterial region 105. If the mechanical metamaterialregion 150 were a rectangular layer of mechanical metamaterial, thestretching or compression of the layer of mechanical metamaterial may bealong a length or width of the rectangular layer, as shown in FIG. 1A.In an embodiment, the actuators 107, 109 may be coupled to themechanical metamaterial region 105 via an adhesive, and the actuators117, 119 may be coupled to the mechanical metamaterial region 115 via anadhesive. In an embodiment, actuators 107, 109, 117, 119 may bepartially or completely embedded in their respective mechanicalmetamaterial regions 105, 115. Each of the actuators may be configuredto provide actuation in only one direction (e.g., only actuation in aninward or outward direction relative to the layer, or only rotation in aclockwise or counterclockwise direction), or may be able to provideactuation in multiple directions. Examples of the actuators includestack piezoelectric actuators, solenoids, or motors.

In an embodiment, mechanical metamaterial region 105 or 115 may beplaced in an activated state or deactivated state when an actuator 107,109, 117, or 119 is activated. Returning the mechanical metamaterialregion 105 or 115 may involve deactivating the actuator, oralternatively by activating the actuator in an opposite direction (e.g.,reversing an actuation direction of the actuator), if the actuator iscapable of doing so. For example, mechanical metamaterial region 105 maybe in an activated state when the region is stretched by actuators 107,109. The region 105 may be deactivated by deactivating the actuators107, 109, or alternatively by causing the actuators 107, 109 to reverseactuation direction and compress the region 105, if the actuators arecapable of doing so.

In an embodiment, the one or more actuators which may activate ametamaterial region may be controlled by a control unit 110 that is partof the user interface device 100. The control unit 110 is shown in ablock diagram of the user interface device 100 in FIG. 1B. As the figureillustrates, the control unit 110 may be in communication with thedisplay 101, the user input components 103, 113, and the actuators 107,109, 117, 119. As described in more detail below, the control unit maydetermine when a user input component (e.g., 103, 113) should be hiddenfrom tactile perception, and may activate a corresponding mechanicalmetamaterial region with a subset of the actuators 107, 109, 117, 119.In FIG. 1B, the user interface device 100 further includes anotheractuator 129 that is a haptic actuator, such as a linear resonantactuator (LRA) or eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator. The hapticactuator is configured to generate a haptic effect, such as avibrotactile haptic effect. As discussed below with respect to FIG. 3A,the haptic actuator may be covered by a mechanical metamaterial region.When the mechanical metamaterial region is activated, the region maymechanically cloak haptic effects generated by the haptic actuator 129.

FIG. 2 shows the actuators 107 and 109 of the user interface device 100being activated to expand along a length of the mechanical metamaterialregion 105 and stretch the mechanical metamaterial region 105, which mayplace the region 105 in an activated state or, alternatively, in adeactivated state. For example, actuators 107 and 109 may each be astack piezoelectric actuator configured to stretch the mechanicalmetamaterial region by expanding in a direction shown by the arrows inFIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the actuators 107, 109 may be configured tostretch the mechanical metamaterial region 105 from the dimensions shownin FIG. 1A to the dimensions shown by the dashed outline in FIG. 2. Thisstretching action may alter the internal structure of the mechanicalmetamaterial of region 105 to that of an activated state or to that of adeactivated state. FIG. 3 illustrates the first user input component 103being covered by the mechanical metamaterial region 105.

FIG. 3A depicts a sectional view of the interface device 100 along theline A-A of FIG. 3. The sectional view shows individual buttons 103a-103 h (also referred to as keys 103 a-103 h) of a user input component103, such as individual buttons of a keyboard. In an embodiment, eachbutton of buttons 103 a-103 h may have a curved profile, as shown inFIG. 3A

For example, each button may have the shape of a cylinder orhalf-sphere. Such buttons may be covered by, e.g., a metamaterial region105 that is made of a pentamode metamaterial having a lattice offace-centered cubic (fcc) cells. The buttons 103 a-103 h may be coveredby the mechanical metamaterial region 105 by being underneath a topsurface of the mechanical metamaterial region 105. In some cases, thebuttons 103 a-103 h may be partially or completely encapsulated by themechanical metamaterial of region 105. In another embodiment, eachbutton of the user input component 103 may have a substantiallyrectangular shape. The buttons 103 a-103 h may be disposed on asubstrate layer 111, such as a plastic or metal base.

In an embodiment, the mechanical metamaterial region 105 may be a layerof pentamode material that partially encompasses each of the keys 103a-103 h, as shown in FIG. 3A. The pentamode material may be activated byactuators 107, 109. FIG. 3A shows an example in which actuators 107 and109 actuate by contracting. For instance, the actuators 107, 109 may bepiezoelectric actuators that contract to stretch the mechanicalmetamaterial region in the directions shown in FIG. 3A. That is, thecontraction may pull on the sides of the mechanical metamaterial region105 and stretch the region 105. The stretching may, e.g., change theinternal structure of the pentamode material to an activatedconfiguration in which the pentamode material is able to divert strainor stress around an object, such as a user input component encompassedby the pentamode material. In this activated configuration, thepentamode material may thus hide the object from tactile perception. Ina more specific example, when a user's finger or stylus presses orotherwise contacts the mechanical metamaterial region 105, stress orstrain may be exerted on the layer of pentamode material which forms theregion 105. The internal structure of the pentamode material may,however, be configured to divert the stress, strain, or other mechanicaleffect around a button (e.g., button 103 a) directly under the point ofcontact. The stress, strain, or other mechanical effect may be divertedto the substrate layer 111. Thus, the user may feel like he or she ispressing on the substrate layer 111, rather than on any keyboard button.Accordingly, the layer of pentamode material may hide the keyboard fromthe user's tactile perception.

In an embodiment, the mechanical meta-material region 105 may comprise aholey sheet that covers the keys 103 a-103 h of the user input component103. To cover the keys 103 a-103 h, the holey sheet may also partiallyencompass each of the keys 103 a-103 h, or may be located completely ontop of the keys 103 a-103 h. When the holey sheet is in a deactivatedstate, it may have a first level of compressibility that allows a userto feel the keys 103 a-103 h being covered by the holey sheet. When theholey sheet is in an activated state, it may have a second level ofcompressibility that is lower than the first level. In other words, theholey sheet may exhibit greater rigidity in the activated state than inthe deactivated state. With this second, lower level of compressibility,the holey sheet may be sufficiently rigid such that the user is unableto feel the keys 103 a-103 h under the holey sheet. Thus, the holeysheet may also be used to hide the user input component 103 from auser's tactile perception.

FIG. 3A further illustrates a haptic actuator 129 embedded within theuser interface device 100. For instance, the haptic actuator 129 may bea body LRA configured to generate vibrotactile haptic effects. In anembodiment, such vibrotactile haptic effects may be hidden by themechanical metamaterial region 105 when the region 105 is activated.

FIG. 4A depicts a sectional view of the interface device 100 along theline A-A of FIG. 4. FIG. 4A illustrates another user input component113, such as a home button, covered by the mechanical metamaterialregion 115. In an embodiment, the user input component 113 may have acylindrical or semi-spherical shape. In an activated state, themechanical metamaterial region 115 may be configured to hide the homebutton from tactile perception. The mechanical metamaterial region 115may be activated, e.g., by actuators 119 and 117. For example, each ofthe actuators 119, 117 may be a stack piezoelectric actuator whichcontracts in the directions shown in FIG. 4A. The contraction of thepiezoelectric actuators may pull the sides of the mechanicalmetamaterial region 115, which may stretch the mechanical metamaterialregion 115 to a configuration corresponding to an activated state.

In an embodiment, a mechanical metamaterial region may be disposed overa portion, or all, of the display 101. The mechanical metamaterialregion may be used to hide a haptic effect provided by a haptic actuatorfrom tactile perception. The haptic effect may be, e.g., a low frequencydeformation-based haptic effect, a high frequency deformation-basedhaptic effect (e.g., a vibrotactile effect), or an electrostatic hapticeffect. For instance, the mechanical metamaterial region may beactivated to hide a groove, bump, or any other type of deformation-basedeffect created on a surface of display 101.

In an embodiment, one or more optical metamaterial regions may beapplied to a user interface device. Each optical metamaterial region maycomprise a layer of optical metamaterial. In an embodiment, the opticalmetamaterial may have an activated state in which its internal structureis able to guide light around an object embedded in the opticalmetamaterial. Thus, the optical metamaterial may visually cloak theobject when the optical metamaterial is in the activated state. Byguiding light around the embedded object, such as from an environmentbehind the object to the front of the object, the optical metamaterialmay be able to display the environment behind the object. If a displayscreen were located behind the object and behind the opticalmetamaterial region, the optical metamaterial region may allow thedisplay screen to be seen. The optical metamaterial may further have adeactivated state in which the internal structure no longer performs thevisual cloaking functionality. In the deactivated state, the objectembedded in the optical metamaterial may be visible again, and a view ofthe display screen may be blocked by the object.

In one example, the optical metamaterial region may be used with a userinterface device which has a physical keyboard (e.g., a mechanicalkeyboard). The keys of the keyboard may be embedded within the opticalmetamaterial of the optical metamaterial region. The opticalmetamaterial region may thus perform visual cloaking for the physicalkeyboard when the physical keyboard is not being used, and stop thevisual cloaking when the physical keyboard is needed. For instance, whena user opens a text messaging, text editing, or word processingapplication, or performs some other action which indicates a need to usethe physical keyboard, the layer of optical metamaterial may be in adeactivated state so that the physical keyboard is visible through theoptical metamaterial region. When the user opens a video viewingapplication or performs some other action which indicates there is nolonger a need to use the physical keyboard, the optical metamaterialregion may be activated to visually cloak the physical keyboard. In someinstances, a layer of optical metamaterial may be activated bystretching or compressing the optical metamaterial of the opticalmetamaterial region. When the optical metamaterial region is activated,the physical keyboard may become invisible to a user, and any portion ofa display screen or other material under the keyboard may becomevisible. More specifically, in an embodiment, the physical keyboard maybe placed on a portion of a display screen of a user interface device.When a control unit of the user interface device determines that thephysical keyboard is currently not needed, it may activate the opticalmetamaterial region to visually cloak the physical keyboard and to makethe underlying portion of the display screen visible. OpticalMetamaterials are discussed in more detail in “Experimentaldemonstration of a Multiphysics cloak: manipulating heat flux andelectric current simultaneously,” by Yungui Ma et al.; “A full parameterunidirectional metamaterial cloak for microwaves,” by N. Landy; and “Amulti-cloack bifunctional device,” by Muhammad Raza, which areincorporated herein in its entirety.

The mechanical metamaterial and the optical metamaterial discussed abovemay be used in separate, alternative embodiments, or may be combined insome embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram which provides an example method 200 forusing a metamaterial region, such as mechanical metamaterial region 105.In an embodiment, the method 200 begins at step 201, in which a userinterface device receives an input at a physical user input component,such as a physical keyboard, of the user interface device. The input atthe physical user input component may indicate, for example, a userinteracting with his or her device's user input component, such as aphysical keyboard or home button.

In step 203, the user interface device determines whether the physicaluser input component is to be hidden from tactile perception. Forexample, a control unit of the user interface device may determinewhether keyboard usage is done for an upcoming time period (e.g., for anupcoming 30 seconds). The control unit may make such a determinationwhen, e.g., a user exits a text messaging or word processing applicationon the user interface device.

In step 205, in response to determining that the physical user inputcomponent is to be hidden from tactile perception, the user interfacedevice may activate a mechanical metamaterial region that is disposedover the physical user input component. This step may be performed toactivate mechanical cloaking of, e.g., a physical keyboard of the userinterface device, so that the user no longer has tactile perception ofthe keyboard keys.

In step 207, the user interface device may determine that hiding oftactile perception of the physical user input component is to bestopped, or more generally that tactile perception of the physical userinput component is to be enabled or is to remain enabled. Thisdetermination may occur, for instance, when a user opens a textmessaging, text editing, or word processing application, or when anopened application explicitly communicates or requests (e.g., via anapplication programming interface (API) that provides commands forcontrolling the activation or deactivation of the mechanicalmetamaterial regions) that the user interface device be placed in adeactivated state in which the physical input component can be tactilelyperceived.

In step 209, in response to the determination that hiding of tactileperception of the physical user input component is to be stopped, theuser interface device may deactivate the mechanical metamaterial regionthat is disposed over the physical user input component. This step maydeactivate the mechanical cloaking of the physical user input component.

In an embodiment, method 200 may involve a user interface device thatalso has an optical metamaterial region disposed over the physical userinput component. In such an embodiment, the optical metamaterial regionand the mechanical metamaterial region may be activated at the same timeand deactivated at the same time. The mechanical metamaterial region maybe used to mechanically cloak the user input component, while theoptical metamaterial region may be used to visually cloak the user inputcomponent.

FIG. 6 shows a user interface device 300 that is a game consolecontroller. The game console controller includes multiple metamaterialregions that may hide physical user input components of the game consolecontroller from tactile perception. The game controller includes a firstset 303 of user input components (e.g., a set of arrow buttons) and asecond set 313 of user input components (e.g., another set of buttons).The buttons may provide input for a game application executing on a hostcomputer in communication with the game console controller. The gamecontroller further includes a first mechanical metamaterial region 305that covers the first set 303 of user input components, and includessecond mechanical metamaterial region 315 that covers the second set 313of user input components. The mechanical metamaterial region 305 may beactivated by the actuator 307 to perform mechanical cloaking of thefirst set of user input components, while the mechanical metamaterialregion 315 may be activated by actuator 317 to perform mechanicalcloaking of the second set 313 of user input components. As discussedabove, mechanical cloaking may be performed for user input componentswhen they currently have no function in a game at a present time, sothat a user is less likely to press or otherwise interact with the userinput components. Additionally, the mechanical metamaterial regions maybe combined with one or more optical metamaterial regions to visuallycloak user input components which have no function at a present time.When a metamaterial region is disposed over a group of buttons, thevisual or mechanical cloaking may be activated only when there is adetermination that all of the covered buttons or keys have nocorresponding functionality in an application presently being executedon the user interface device.

In an embodiment, the mechanical or optical metamaterial region(s) maybe used in a gaming application, a wearable application, an augmentedreality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) application, another computingapplication, or any other application.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that although specific examplesand embodiments of the system and methods have been described forpurposes of illustration, various modifications can be made withoutdeviating from present invention. For example, embodiments of thepresent invention may be applied to many different types of objects ordevices operating individually or in conjunction with other devices.Moreover, features of one embodiment may be incorporated into otherembodiments or combined with features of another embodiment, even wherethose features are not described together in a single embodiment withinthe present document.

What is claimed is:
 1. A user interface device, comprising: a user inputcomponent; a mechanical metamaterial region located over the user inputcomponent; one or more actuators coupled to the mechanical metamaterialregion, wherein the mechanical metamaterial region has an internalstructure that is alterable by the one or more actuators, and has amechanical property that changes in response to the alteration of theinternal structure by the one or more actuators; and a control unit incommunication with the one or more actuators, and configured todetermine whether the user input component is to be hidden from tactileperception, and to activate the one or more actuators to alter theinternal structure of the mechanical metamaterial region in response tothe determination that the user input component is to be hidden fromtactile perception.
 2. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein theone or more actuators are configured to stretch or compress themechanical metamaterial region, wherein the mechanical property of themechanical metamaterial region changes in response to the mechanicalmetamaterial region being stretched or compressed.
 3. The user interfacedevice of claim 2, wherein the mechanical metamaterial region comprisesa rectangular layer of mechanical metamaterial, and wherein the one ormore actuators are configured to stretch or compress the mechanicalmetamaterial region along a length or width of the rectangular layer ofmechanical metamaterial.
 4. The user interface device of claim 2,wherein the control unit is further configured to determine whether ahaptic effect on the user interface device is to be hidden from tactileperception, and to activate the one or more actuators in response todetermining that the haptic effect is to be hidden on the user interfacedevice.
 5. The user interface device of claim 2, wherein thedetermination of whether the user input component is to be hidden fromtactile perception is based on an identity of an application that isrunning on the user interface device.
 6. The user interface device ofclaim 5, wherein the user input component is a keyboard, and wherein thecontrol unit is configured to determine that tactile perception of theuser input component is to be enabled or to remain enabled in responseto a determination that the application running on the user interfacedevice is a text messaging application or a text editing application. 7.The user interface device of claim 6, wherein the control unit isconfigured to determine that the user input component is to be hiddenfrom tactile perception in response to a determination that theapplication running on the user interface device is a video viewingapplication.
 8. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the userinput component is a button and is one of a plurality of buttons on theuser interface device, and wherein each of the first and secondmechanical metamaterial regions covers a different button of theplurality of buttons.
 9. The user interface device of claim 1, whereinthe user input component is a physical user input component.
 10. Theuser interface device of claim 9, wherein the user interface device doesnot include a pump layer or a fluid layer.
 11. The user interface deviceof claim 1, wherein the internal structure of the mechanicalmetamaterial region has a lattice structure that can be altered by theone or more actuators.
 12. The user interface device of claim 1, whereinthe user interface device is a mobile phone, wherein the user interfacedevice further comprises a display device, and the user input componentis a keyboard adjacent to the display device.
 13. A handheld gamecontroller, comprising: a plurality of user input components; aplurality of mechanical metamaterial regions located over the pluralityof respective user input components; one or more actuators coupled tothe plurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, wherein eachmechanical metamaterial region of the plurality of mechanicalmetamaterial regions has a respective internal structure that isalterable by the one or more actuators, and has a respective mechanicalproperty that changes in response to the alternation of the respectiveinternal structure by the one or more actuators, and wherein theplurality of mechanical metamaterial regions are isolated from eachother so that a mechanical property of one of the plurality ofmechanical metamaterial regions can be changed without changing amechanical property of any other of the mechanical metamaterial regions;a control unit in communication with the one or more actuators, andconfigured to determine that a user input component of the plurality ofuser input components is to be hidden from tactile perception, and toselect, from among the plurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, amechanical metamaterial region located over the user input component, toactivate some or all of the one or more actuators to alter an internalstructure of the mechanical metamaterial region that is selected inorder to hide the user input component from tactile perception.
 14. Thehandheld game controller of claim 13, wherein the plurality of userinput components are a plurality of buttons.
 15. The handheld gamecontroller of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured todetermine that a button of the plurality of buttons is to be hidden fromtactile perception in response to determining that the button currentlyhas no functionality in an application interacting with the handheldgame controller.
 16. The handheld game controller of claim 15, whereinthe application is an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR)application executing on a game console or host computer.
 17. Thehandheld game controller of claim 13, wherein the determination that auser input component of the plurality of user input components is to behidden from tactile perception is based on an identity of an applicationthat is interacting with the handheld game controller.
 18. The handheldgame controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more actuators areconfigured to stretch or compress each mechanical metamaterial region ofthe plurality of mechanical metamaterial regions, wherein eachmechanical metamaterial region of the plurality of mechanicalmetamaterial regions has a mechanical property that changes in responseto the mechanical metamaterial region being stretched or compressed. 19.The handheld game controller of claim 18, wherein the mechanicalproperty is at least one of a shear modulus and a bulk modulus.